When I signed up for our first improv class at Hear.Say Brewing + Theatre, I had no idea Tuesday nights would become the highlight of my week. That mix of silliness and friendship wakes up a part of my brain that usually prefers to go to bed early; it’s a pure dopamine rush.

Improv 201 at Hear.Say Academy

We just had our 201 Showcase, which means we’ve graduated to 202. IKR! Everyone who knows me is mystified. They know I’m not the person who loves open mic night or karaoke, that would be Chuck. I nearly quit before our first 101 class, but here we are. 

The Hear.Say Academy

A bit of peer pressure and the Hear.Say environment made it impossible not to continue my improv journey. They have 8-week improv classes for students from beginners to advanced. The instructors are excellent and create a safe and supportive environment. As someone approaching her 60th birthday, I am here to say you can still teach an old dog new tricks. I may never volunteer to sing at a karaoke bar or play during an improv jam, but I am feeling more confident and spontaneous while interviewing guests on our podcast.  

More importantly, I adore the funny, talented people in my class. I wasn’t a 4-H kid or a band kid, so I missed out on that “club camaraderie” growing up, but I’ve found it with my improv troupe. 

Learning the “Lead Line”

In our 201 class, taught by the talented Michelle Weiss, we played improv games and exercises focused on the 2-person scene. We worked on improv skills to develop characters and a relationship with your scene partner. It’s like writing a lead line for a newspaper article:

• Who are we to each other?
• How do we feel about one another?
• What do we want?
• Where are we?  (Using object work to build that world.)  

Michelle was right there in the thick of it, offering her expert coaching and feedback from the sidelines. She’d nudge us back on track with a quick “It’s not about that” when our scenes started to wander off into the weeds, or challenge us with a “New choice” if things got a bit dicey. It happens! Sometimes, she’d just ground us by asking that all-important question: “Who are you to each other?”

Our Troupe Name’s Origin Story

We saw these lessons collide during one class where I found myself in a ball pit (our location suggestion), desperately “looking for ghosts” (my secret prompt), while Bradon was trying to establish a relationship using “one-word sentences” (his secret prompt). He was shouting cryptic bits of nonsense while lying on his back, saying slowly, “Snow.” Then after a beat or two, “Angel.”  

My brain was short-circuiting as I tried to find a ghost using object work in a pool of plastic balls. It was pure chaos. Michelle eventually stepped in to rescue us, but in that moment of glorious, confusing absurdity, our troupe name was born: The Ball Pit.

The Showcase: Going Commando

For our showcase, we used the “Commando” improv format to show off our new skills. It’s a fast-paced game where players rotate based on audience suggestions. We’d elected Chuck to kick off the show by introducing us and explaining the game to the audience. He explained we’d need their help by making scene suggestions, and then two players would improvise a scene for them. 

“Thank you, roundabout,” Chuck shouted over the din of suggestions the audience peppered him with. Brandon jumped in, grabbed a chair, and they were father and son. 

Brandon, a master in object work, is always a fun scene partner to find yourself with. During our showcase, he and Gautham, whose secret power is the one-liner you didn’t see coming, were on fire in their paintball scene. Brandon was desperately “stitching up” Gautham’s belly wound while simultaneously pelting opponents over his shoulder with a paintball gun. Then, Gautham was miraculously healed. 

The Secret Sauce

Sara is our A-C master. A-C refers to taking a suggestion, let’s say, “Europe,” and thinking, “Oh, that reminds me of castles,” and then launching into a scene about chess. I jumped into this exact scenario with her. I’m such a literal person. Imagine my surprise when thinking we’d create a scene set in Europe, and she started talking about chess. Again, there I was, confused again, but I remembered the secret sauce: Listening and “Yes, And-ing” her as if my life depended on it.

Thanks to Michelle’s guidance, I’m leaving this class with a bit more confidence. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll sign up for an Improv Jam. Whether I’m hunting ghosts or cheating at chess, The Ball Pit’s “camaraderie” makes it easy to say yes. Bring on 202!

Pictures

There are a few more photos in our gallery from our Improv 201 Showcase.

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